Juju Watkins has proven to be one of the most elite bucket-getters in women's basketball. Her tenacity on both ends of the floor even made some individuals draw a comparison between her and Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. However, the USC basketball star has another star in mind who is more proximate to her style of play. Is it Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum, Paul George, Paolo Banchero, or someone else?

With her latest stint in the USC basketball program, Juju Watkins has achieved a lot that most college basketball players will never reach in their careers. She led the Trojans to an Elite Eight berth. Only the Paige Bueckers-led UConn Huskies were able to stop them on their way to a Final Four berth. Watkins' sharp mentality and relentless pursuit of getting the basketball into the hoop was the reason why she was compared to Kobe Bryant.

However, the USC basketball star does not yet think she is on the level of the Lakers legend. She posits that there's still a long way for her to go in order to attain that comparison, via House of Highlights.

“I can't say, Kobe Bryant. He's too great,” Watkins said.

There is one player that she said represents her game fairly well. It is none other than the new forward in the Philadelphia 76ers system

“I get Paul George sometimes, a lot. That's just the best compliment ever. So, yeah. I'll say Paul,” she declared.

Does the USC basketball star resemble Paul George at all?

Apr 1, 2024; Portland, OR, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) puts up a shot during the second half against UConn Huskies forward Aaliyah Edwards (3) and guard Paige Bueckers (5) in the finals of the Portland Regional of the NCAA Tournament at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
© Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Honestly, the comparison is not that far off. Juju Watkins may score 27.1 points a night while shooting 40.1% from the field and 31.9% from three but her game is very well-rounded just like George.

She grabs 7.3 rebounds for the USC basketball squad every night. Watkins also facilitates their offense which gives her 3.3 assists per game too. Not to mention, her defensive chops have also been phenomenal. She is able to catch hasty decisions in the passing lanes which leads to an absurd 2.3 steals per game. Her ability to also jump and meet opponents at the apex of their shot nets her 1.6 blocks on a nightly basis.

These numbers do sound reminiscent of George at his peak. At his peak during the 2018-19 season, George was able to notch 28 points while knocking down 43.8% of his shots from the field. His outside shots were also finding the bottom of the net 38.6% of the time. With this time alongside the Oklahoma City Thunder, he also grabbed 8.2 rebounds and managed to dole out 4.1 assists.

Defensively, the numbers and eye test also look fairly similar. George ended up leading the league in steals by getting 2.2 of them. However, Watkins may have George beat when it comes to swatting away shots. The NBA player was only able to record a meager average of 0.4 blocks which is certainly smaller than what the USC basketball star averaged.

Obviously, these numbers have some inflation inside them because one of them is in the professional leagues while the other resides in college basketball. However, if Caitlin Clark is any indicator, those numbers could translate fairly well into the WNBA too. In the long-term, maybe Watkins does live up to the Lakers legend comparisons.